Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-01-13
SMUGGLED DIAMONDS.


to smuggle, and don't think / did any
, wrong by it, - said "A ship chandler, of this
city, TO group of sea captains who had
assembled in the snug little Office Of his
well stocked store one afternoon recently
The surprise which this announcement had
provoked gave place TO expressions OF
curiosity on the part of the assembled cap,
tainS, and the chandler proceeded to cx.
plain his innoCent connection with the
smuggling industry.
''When | WAS about 10 years old" =" said
the chandler, Il went to sea. Ishipped as
cook on an American bark. which finally
landed me in Liverpool, where | was paid
of. After got rid of my wages / looked
about for another ship. | found berth
as cook on an American bark of 600 tons,
which was bound for Savannah The cap
tain was a quiet sort of man, with small
black eyes, each OF which looked as il it
was trying to keep what it was doing from
the other. The day before the bark
sailed a long, narrow box came on
board, and the captain had it slowed
away carefully in his stateroom. The
box looked as though it might con-
tain coffin l made up my mind that
there was a body inside, but Us l WASH t
supsrstitious myself didn't pay much at
teution TO the matter at the time. The
crew looked like tough men. They were
hard cases, rs rule, but they seemed
willing enough to do their work-all ex-
cept two. These were big, brawny Irish
man we called Dublin Mike and a wiry,
Spanish-looking chap named Tony. Mike
and Tony were always telling the other
chaps that they were working too hard,
and were advising them to stand up for
THAR Va haA N g.
three weeks, and had made the better part
of the voyage, when a heavy northorly
gallo set in. There was a good deal Of iron
in the cargo, and that made the bark labor
badly. She strained SO much that she
sprans q bad leak. The pumps had to be
kept going nearly all the time. The gale
lasted several days and we drifted con-
siderably to the southwark. The men got
tired Of working so much at the pumps,
and then it leaked out about the strange
looking box in the captains stateroom-
90 No wonder we have bad luck said
Dublin Mike, with that stiff on board
and the chap began to work on the super
stiti0us feeling of the men by telling them
that nc ship with dead body on board
was ever known to get through a voyage
without trouble.
'That night, at four bells In the dog
watch, all hands laid aft and asked to see
the captain. The skipper came out Of the
cabin looking sort of scared and asked the
men what they wanted. Mike, who was
spokesman, said that they couldn't stand
1t any longer with q dead body on board
The body had got to go overheard, or else
the ship would go down. The skipper
said that the idea that dead body could
bring sny harm to q ship was all nonsense,
and he told the men to 20 forward. Then
Tony cried out to the men to follow him
and made dash toward the cabin door
Stop. men, cried the captain, there
amt any body in that box
'Tony and the rest stopped
That box the captain went on to
say, has only got some silks in it that /
want 10 get through without duty. Per
haps there's some diamonds in with the
silks, and perhaps there's more diamonds
than there Is silks I'm going to put into
Bermuda for repairs We're within two
days sail of Bermuda now
But said Tony, If We help you to
save the diamonds and silks you ought to
divide with US when we get to Savannah
And so l will, said the skipper.
Mike swore that the captain ought to
open the box and show the men that there
was really no body in it. Tony seized
Mike by the arm and whispered something
to him in an angry tone Mike then stam-
mered and said that he would take the
captains word for it, and all went for
ward quietly.
THE wind was fair during the next
twenty-four hours, and the next night
when turned In understood that the
chances were that we would reach Ber-
muda some time in the morning. The
watch on deck had been keeping the pumps
going nearly all the time, and could hear
them clicking as fell asleep. slept in .
little stateroom right aft Of the forecastle.
There was q little air hole in the bulkhead
between my room and the forecastle.
had frequently heard what was going on
in the fOrecsstle but had never paid much
attention TO it. That night I woke up
feeling kind Of uncomfortable. heard
voices in the forecastle. l fancied that
the watches had just been changed and
tried to go TO sleep again, but 1 could not
The talking in the forecastle kept on.
This surprised me, because the men
usually went to sleep the moment they
turned in. / put my ear up to the air
hole and listened.
What will we do with the cook" l
heard q sailor say.
They'll lock him in just before eight
bells, replied a voice, which I recognized
as Mikes.
Then heard noise ~ if my door and
the shutters over my window were being
fastened. got up softly and felt my door
found that / had been fastened in.
climbed back into my berth and, putting
my ear to the hole, listened again.
-l,t - h.
locked up therer / heard tho sailor ask
The same as will become Of the ship
replied Mike, with laugh.
"A chilly, awful kind Of feeling came
over me when he said this.
"'At eight bells we begin, he continued.
Il heard eight bells strike, and then
heard the men rush out Of the forecastle.
An instant later heard several pistol
shots fired This was followed by loud
shouts and something which sounded like
the smashing in of doors. Then heard
several more pistol shots, and then every
rnIng was quiet. lay there IN my Dern,
bot daring to cry out lest the mutineers
should come back and kill me. Their
plan seemed clear to me. They undoubt-
edly intended to secure the diamonds, and,
leaving the ship TO her fate, to make for
Bermuda in the open boats. Occasion /
ally | would hear some sailor enter the /.
forecastle for something and then go out /
again. could not hear the pumps going,
and had no doubt that the vessel was
filling fast. l lay quietly in my bunk !
until daylight began to show itself |
through the chinks in my door and win |
dow. Just then l heard several more |
shots fired. This made me think that
the captain and the mates had succeeded |
in barricading themselves in the cabin,
and were still holding out. A few hours
passed without my hearing any more |
sounds. Then all Of a sudden it seemed /
to me as if the ship was sinking. The /
mutineers, l thought, have killed the |
officers and have left in the boats, leav-
ing me 10 go down with the ship l
sprang TO the door and shook it violently |
several times, but it remained fast. For |
a few seconds | was out Of my head with |
7 -aIlaJ lilo r,o5p,an